Amanda Lynn Morgan

Amanda Lynn Morgan

Partner
About

Amanda Morgan resolves complex litigation and commercial disputes for DLA Piper clients, focusing on business competition and the protection of business assets.

Amanda has well over a decade of experience representing clients in business competition disputes with competitors, business partners, former employees and clients, litigating a wide variety of contract and tort claims arising from corporate raiding, employee mobility, misappropriation of trade secrets and other business assets, and allegations of unfair competition in product sales or following the sale or acquisition of a business.

Amanda brings deep strategic and procedural experience to dispute resolution having handled large portfolios of litigations involving multi-jurisdictional disputes, numerous related actions, class actions and regulatory enforcement actions, in which she has represented clients in California state and federal courts, and nationally, and, for insurance industry clients, before the Administrative Hearing Bureau of the California Department of Insurance and other states' insurance regulatory agencies. Amanda also represents and advises clients in pre-litigation disputes, mediation, and arbitration.

Amanda has represented clients across industries as plaintiffs and defendants including insurance carriers and brokers, an insurance market and syndicates, banks and financial services firms, public and private corporations in technology, food and beverage, hospitality, telecommunications and fashion industries, technology start-ups and emerging companies, partnerships and limited liability companies and individuals.

Bar admissionsCalifornia
CourtsAll California state and federal district courts

EXPERIENCE

Amanda's experience includes representation of the following:

  • An insurance market and syndicates with respect to commercial property coverage disputes regarding business interruption losses related to the global COVID-19 pandemic
  • A national provider of workers’ compensation insurance and affiliates in a large portfolio of national litigations in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and before the Administrative Hearing Bureau of the California Department of Insurance, challenging cutting-edge, loss-sensitive insurance products on the basis of unfair competition, fraud, bad faith, contract, misapplication of filed rates, and other claims, including the successful defeat of three federal putative class actions at the class certification stage, judgment in favor of client following successful motion for summary judgment, complete defense verdict following a bench trial, and settlement of numerous actions on favorable terms
  • A global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions in a series of complex, multi-jurisdictional corporate raiding/employee mobility litigations involving trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, unfair competition and other related business torts, culminating in a two month jury trial and appeal
  • A global health insurance services company in a broad spectrum of litigations 
  • A technology company in a bet-the-business litigation involving misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement and unfair competition claims related to the manufacture and sale of gyroscopes. A two-week jury trial in federal court resulted in a jury verdict in favor of the client on all claims
  • A multi-level marketing company in a multi-million-dollar misappropriation of trade secret, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty action involving a two-week evidentiary hearing for preliminary injunction in federal court. After a preliminary injunction was granted in favor of the client, a favorable settlement was reached
  • A solar energy consulting company in an employee mobility and misappropriation of trade secrets matter brought by the client against former employees who stole trade secrets and launched a competing business. Judgment was entered for the client along with an award of damages and attorneys' fees
  • A financial technology company and its bank client in a copyright infringement and breach of contract lawsuit in federal court. Following discovery and a successful mediation, the matter settled for a fraction of damages sought by the plaintiff
  • An investment consulting firm in a broad spectrum of litigations
  • A Canadian water company in a trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit in US district court. The matter was successfully resolved through mediation, allowing the client to continue to operate in the United States under its original brand with the plaintiff withdrawing all challenges to the client's US trademarks
  • A tour operator in a class action and related arbitration brought by tour directors who claimed misclassification as exempt employees, and made claims under California Labor Code and Business and Professions Code. After a successful motion to compel arbitration and opposition to plaintiffs' application for writ of mandate, and while our opposition to plaintiffs' motion for class certification was pending, the case settled for approximately 1/8 of the value of plaintiffs' asserted claims
  • A venture capital firm in an arbitration involving a breach of contract dispute with a former partner. The arbitration resulted in a complete verdict for the client, along with an award recovering attorneys' fees and costs
  • A well-known, New York based, clothing and accessory designer in a commercial lease dispute involving its Beverly Hills boutique. After successfully opposing a motion for judgment on the pleadings and a motion for summary judgment, a favorable settlement was achieved on the eve of trial, allowing the renewal of a fruitful business relationship between the parties
  • An entertainment industry executive in a high-profile, complex and consolidated litigation stemming from a widespread wiretapping scheme in Los Angeles
Education
  • J.D., University of California, Hastings College of Law
    Senior Production Editor, Hastings Law Journal
    Regional Moot Court Finalist, Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

    cum laude
  • M.A., Stanford University
  • B.A., Stanford University
    with honors

Awards

Amanda received the 2006 Scribes Law Review Award, a national award recognizing the most outstanding note published in a law review, for her note "US Officials' Vulnerability to 'Global Justice:' Will Universal Jurisdiction over War Crimes Make Traveling for Pleasure Less Pleasurable?" 57 Hastings L.J. 423 (2005). 

Pro Bono

Amanda is committed to pro bono. She has represented clients in constitutional torts, political asylum and other immigration matters, including obtaining a grant of asylum for a client facing gender-based persecution in her home country and assisting multiple clients obtain U-Visas and permanent residency status.

Prior Experience

Prior to law school, Amanda was a communications manager in a corporate strategy group for a Silicon Valley based technology company, an analyst at an economic consulting firm and a consultant to the Asia Foundation's Corruption Core Project.

Amanda served as a Judicial Extern for The Honorable Phyllis J. Hamilton, United States District Court, Northern District of California and as a Judicial Intern for the U.S. Immigration Court, Department of Justice.

Civic and Charitable

Amanda has served on the Board of Directors of the Junior League of San Francisco and on the Junior Leagues of California's State Public Affairs Committee, a state-wide lobbying committee representing 14 California Leagues and the populations they serve.

Other Accomplishments

Amanda is a former Fulbright Scholar.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • American Bar Association

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